Lever lock



Dec. 25, 1951 H. A. SCOTT ErAL 2,579,975

LEVER LocK Filed'sept. zo, 1948 JNVENTORS ma Bllahnl. spieken *M in Figure 1.

Patented Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED-A sTATcs rar NT "ori-*ICE LEVER LGGK I Harry A. Scott and John W. Speker, Van Wert, Ohio, assignors Vto Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., vaA corporation lof New York Application September 20, .19.48, Serial No. 50,134y

3 Claims. (01120-61) of the ring and a link pivotally connected to the opposite end of the ring, the link-being connected to the lever intermediate its ends. Y When. the .ring is in contracted vcondition in order to hold the closure member on the container, the lever is swung inwardly into contact with the outer face of the ring. It is necessary to provide a locking means to keep the lever in such position.

The `present invention relates to locking means forY maintaining the lever inthe Aposition it occupies after the split ringuhas been contracted. This locking means has certain advantages over the locking means disclosed in our copending application. n

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a locking means of the type indicated associated with a lever for maintaining it in position against the split lockingband or ring, such locking means being so designed and so located that it will not be subject to damage by other similar containers especially when they are arranged in cars or trucks side-by-side for shipment.

Another object of our invention is to provide a locking means which is of such a nature `that when in locking position it is disposed within themouter face of the lever and, therefore, will be so located that it will not be subject to forces tending to 'disengage it from the lever.

lStill another object of our invention is to provide a locking means of the type indicated which will not only hold the actuating lever in its final position but will also aid in bringing the lever into its nal position.

"Various other objects will be apparent.

The preferred embodiment of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing'wherein similar characterspof reference designate corresponding parts and wherein;

Figure l is a side elevtaional View of an actuating lever on a split ring or band and illustratinghow the locking means of this invention is associated w'iththev lever. n l Figure 2 is a top view kof the structure shown of the split ring for movement inwardly and out- ,theA lever and release `of the closure.

vprovided with an arcuate cam edge E.

vFigure 3 is a side elevational view of the actuating lever and associated locking means and illustrating this mechanism associated with a closure and a container.

Figure 4 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken along line 4--4 of Figure 3. y

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the leverand I lock mechanism.

with reference to the drawing, in Figures 3 and 4 I have illustrated a container I of fiberboard orsimilar material which is of cylindrical form. and which is provided with a cap or closure 2. A retaining ring or band '3 is applied to the container and is provided with portions for locking the closure on the container when'l the ring 3 is contracted.

The means for contracting and expanding the ring A3 is similar to that disclosed in ourv copending `application and includes a lever 4 and a vlink 5 which are pivotally connected to opposite ends wardly in a horizontal plane, as shown in Figure 5,. When the lever is swung inwardly against the face of the ring 3, the ring is contractedand the `lever will lie closely adjacent the ring as `shown by thefull lines in Figure 2. The dotted lines indicate how it is swung outwardly to expand the ring. When .in the position shown by the full line in, Figure 2, it is desirable to lock it insuch position to prevent outward swinging of Y This is accomplished by locking means which we shall now describe and which .has a -number of vimpor-- tant advantages vover vthe locking means disclosed in our copending application.

For this purpose, the outer or free end of the lever 4 is of special formation.Y Referring to Figure 5, the extreme 4outer end of the lever `is Spaced inwardly from the edgeg is a notch 'i and between the edge 5 and notch 7l is a depending tongue 8. lOn` the inner face of the lever 4 and extending from the inner vertical edge of notch described, a pivoted latch arm I3 is provided.-

This arm is pivoted for vertical swinging movement by a rivet Ill to the ring 3 adjacent the point where the end of lever 4 will be disposed n when it is swung inwardly. The ,pivoted end of the lever is so shaped thata circular cam portion VI5 is formed thereon which is eccentric relative to the rivet i4. This portion I5 is so shaped and located that when the latch arm I3 is swung upwardly, the cam portion I thereof engages and exerts pressure against the cam edge 6 of the lever 4.

The latch arm I3 is bent outwardly at a point I5 spaced from the rivet and then inwardly at a point I6 spaced from its outer end in order to produce a' bent-out section I'Ia which provides at its inner side a tongue-receiving socket or space Il in which the tongue 8 of lever 4 will be received when the arm I3 is swung upwardly. To reinforce the arm I3 it is provided with an inwardly directed flange I8 on its outer end. This anghe has a depending lug I9 on its outer end which has an opening 20 formed therein. On the vertical part of the arm I3 adjacent its outer extremity is a small projection 2| which is adapted to snap into the indentation 9 in the lever when the arm I3 is swung upwardly.

In the operation of this latch means, the arm I3 will initially be in its inoperative position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1 and the lever 4 will be in the position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2. When the lever 4 is swung inwardly into contact with the ring 3 as shown by the full lines in Figure 2, the arm I3 is then swung upwardly into locking position to retain the lever against the face of the ring. When the lever 4 is swung inwardly, its outer end will pass over the pivot I4 of the arm I3. The cam portion I5 of arm I3 will now be so located that as the arm I3 is swung upwardly, the cam I5 engages the cam edge 6 on the lever and will gradually force the lever upwardly to cause the flange IU thereof to tightly engage the lower ange 3a of the ring 3. As the arm I3 swings upwardly, the tongue 8 on the lever is received into the space I'I provided at the inner side of the arm I3. The tongue 8 is of such extent that it will not contact with the flange I8 of arm I3 by the time the cam portion I5 forces the lever 4 upwardly so that its flange I0 contacts with the flange 3a. The projection 2I disposed on the outer end of the vertical part of arm I3 will move up to a position Lwhere it snaps into indentation 9, since the end of the arm is so located that it passes behind the main part of the lever 4. It will be noted from Figure l that the tongue 8 is in a plane spaced inwardly slightly behind the plane of the vertical part of the lever 4. The face of the outwardly bent part I'Ia of the arm I3 is substantially flush withfthe face of the lever. The notch 1 permits downward movement of the tongue 8 into the space I'I without interfering with the outwardly bent part I'Ia of the arm. The raised portion 2I of arm I3 will snap into the indentation 9 before the flange I8 of arm I3 contacts the lower flange 3a of the locking ring. The ange I0 of the lever is cut away so that the flange I8 of the arm will not contact with it. Also, the tongue 8 on the Y lever is of insufficient length to contact the flange I8 ofthe arm I3. Thus, flange I8 of arm AI3 -will not-contact either the locking ring or the lever. The lugs II and I9 will now be adjacent and a wire seal may be passed through the aligning openings II and 20.

It will be apparent from the above description, that the latch arm will effectively hold the lever in its final position and will, in fact, aid in moving the lever into nal position so that the lower flange on the lever will snugly contact the lower flange on the ring. The greater part of the latch arm will be disposed beneath or spaced within the outer face of the lever.

Consequently, it will, not -be subjected to forceswacting downwardly vsuch free end to be bent outwardly.

4 thereon which would tend to move it into unlocking position. Furthermore, since the free end of the latch arm will swing upwardly behind the face of the lever, there will be no tendency for In other words, it will be protected by the lever and there will be little outward f orce thereon which will be transmitted to the rivet I4: Any outward force on the free end of the latch arm will be taken by the lever since it is disposed behind the lever. The latch arm is held down by the rivet at one end and by the lever at the other end and does not depend on its'own strength for maintaining it 'snugly against the lever and ring. The outer extremity of the lever engages the cam portion on the latch arm and, consequently, downward movement of the lever which might disengage the lock will be precluded inasmuch as any downward force applied to the lever will merely be transferred through the cam action as direct shear on the rivet. Iv

Many other advantages will beapparent from the -preceding description, the drawing, and the following claims. Y

Having thus described our invention, what we claimis: Hv-

l. In combina'tionrwith a handhaving` anl actuating lever associated therewith for expanding and contracting it, said lever being movable to a position in association with the face of the band, latching means for holding the lever in such position, said latching means comprising a latch arm pivoted to the band adjacent the end of the lever for movement in a plane at right angles to the piane of movement of the lever, the end of the lever being provided with a depending tongue and a notch adjacent the tongue and inwardly thereof, said latch arm having an outwardly bent part to form a socket for receiving the tongue and having its outer end spaced inwardly of the plane of the lever so that it will pass behind said lever as the arm is swung upwardly .with the tongue passing into the socket andthe arm passing into said notch. y

2. In combination with a band having an actuating lever associated therewith forfexpanding and contracting it, said lever being movable in the plane of the band to a position in contact with the face of the band and having a flange adapted to extend along one edge of the band,

latching means for holding the lever in such position, said latching means comprising a latch arm pivoted to the band adjacent the end of the lever for movement in a plane at right angles to the plane of movement of said lever, said pivoted end of the arm being provided with a vcircular cam portion eccentrically disposed relative-to the pivot of the arm, said arm having an outwardly bowed portion intermediate its ends to form a socket at the inner side thereof, said leverbeing provided at its outer end with an extension having a cam edge adapted to be engaged by the cam portion of the arm, a depending tongue' formed on said lever and adapted to extend into the socket in said arm, said lever beingprovided with a notch directly adjacent said tongue vthrough which a portion of the arm may swing so that .its free end can move behind the lever, said tongue and said end of the arm being in substantially the same plane which is behind the plane of the face of the lever. v ,Y

l 3. In combination with a band having an actuating lever associatedtherewith for. expanding and contracting it, said lever being movable in the plane of the band to a position in contact with the face of the band andv having a lower flange which is disposed beneath the lower edge of the band when the lever is in contact with the face of the band, latching means for holding the lever in such position, said latching means comprising a latch arm rpivoted at its one end to the band adjacent the end of the lever for movement in a plane at right angles to the plane of movement of said lever, said latch arm being provided with an eccentric cam portion around 1o its pivot which engages a cam edge on the end of the lever for forcing the lever upwardly so that the flange thereof snugly engages the lower edge of the band, the end of the lever and the latch being provided with intertting portions which prevent outward movement of the end of the lever, the extremity of the free end of the latch arm passing behind the lever so that it is completely covered by the lever to prevent outward movement of said end of the arm.

HARRY A. SCOTT. JOHN W. SPIEKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this-patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,681,150 Vischer Aug. 14, 1928 1,901,699 Burpee Mar. V4, 1933 2,216,480 Severy Oct. 11. 1940 2,236,302 Scott Mar. 25, 1941 2,299,616 Eggers Oct. 20, 1942 2,304,911 Harpold Dec. 15, 1942 

